Lasting machine



March 26, 19 29. R. H. LAWSON LASTING MACHINE Original Filed May 9, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l R. H. LAWSON Mare 26, 1929.

LASTING MACHINE Original Filed May 9, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 26, 1929. R. H. LAWSON LASTING MACHINE Original Filed May 9, 1925 4 Sheet-Sheet 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 4 m O I March 26, 1929. R. H. LAWSON LASTING MACHINE Original Filed May 9, 1923 Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,705,620 PATENT orrics.

RoBRRr H. LAWSON, or BEVERLY, .MASSACHUSETTS, AssrGNoR TOFQUNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, or PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

LASTING MACHINE.

Original application filed May 9, 1223, Serial No. 637,749. Divided and this application filed December 24, 1928. Serial No. 328,265,. v

The present invention relates to the lasting inafter described and claimed which together with the advantages to be obtained 7 thereby, will be readily understood from'the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a side lasting machine embodying the several features of the invention, a portion of the cats ing being broken away to show underlying parts; Fig. 2 is aview in left side elevation partly in section of that portion of the head oft-he machine which supports and actuates the upper lasting devices; Fig. 3 is a detail view in right side elevation showing the lasting devices; Fig. 4 is a detailed View partly in section of a portionof the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, but with the parts in asdif- 'ferent position; Fig. 5 isa view similar to Fig. 4, showing the parts in a still different position; and Fig. 6 is a detail view looking from theleftpf Fig. 4. I j

For "adisclosure of the complete machine and for a detaileddescription thereof,reference maybe had to the inventors pending application Serial No.. 637,749, filed May 9, 1923, of which the present application is a division. The machine is almost entirely automatic in operation and comprises means for working the upper over the last at opposite sides of the shoe simultaneously, means for securing the upper to the insole, and means for relatively moving the lasting devices and the shoe to transfer the point of operation along the shoe. A. jack is provided to support the shoe, and two sets ofgrippersand stitch forming devices are. arranged to act simultanenously at opposite sides of the shoe to work both sides of the shoe upper progres r combinations, and arrangement of parts here-.

and a loop retainer 86.

sively over the last, and to sew the upperto the rib ofthe insole. The gripper and stitch forming devices, as more fully set out in the above-mentioned application, are mounted on two supports which are movable in and out towards and from the center line of the shoe bottom and which may be rotated so that the lasting and sewing devices are maintained at all times in operativeposition as the pointsof operation are transferred along the shoe.

In carrying out the present invention, a

wiper or gripper is provided to cooperate with each set of grippers so as to press the upper snugly into the angle formed by the rib and feather of the insole'and hold it aca curately in position during the operation of the sewing devices.

Referring to the drawings, the jack of the illustrated machine comprises a hollow spindle 8 the upper end of which carries the heel and toe supports for the shoe and the lower end of which is mounted,by means of a gimbal joint, on a supporting arm 12 forming a part of the jack supporting structure. The supporting arm 12 is mounted at its rear end to swing vertically on a support 14 which is in turn mounted to swing about a substantially vertical axis in a frame 16 which is pivotally "mounted at its lower-end in the machine base,

so as to be capable ofswinging about a horizontal axis. Feeding movements are imparted to thejack to present different portions of the work successively to the lasting devices through connections which include the lever arm 18 and'link 20 connected to the toe portion of the jack.

The lever arm 18 and the jack supporting structure areactuated to impart feeding and tipping move ments to the jack to present the work properly to the lasting devices from cams generally indicated at 22 on the pattern cam shaft 24.

, The lasting devices comprise upper stretching gripping jaws 26 and 28 arranged to act upon the upper ateach side of a shoe. Each of the grippers is mounted upon a support and uponeachsupport is also mounted a wiper 30 adapted to cooperate with the corresponding set of stitch forming devices com prising a main needle 32, a looper needle 34,

. "Each support ror the lasting devices com prises acylindrical portion 3S'fr'om the'lower end of which flanges project downwardly, to which are secured downwardly extendiu g parallel plates and 42. To the lower end of the plate 4-0 is secured a block 44 which is shaped to form a presser foot arranged to bear against the surface of the sole of a shoe presented to the machine and engage the. inner surface of the sewing rib so as to constitute a channel guide. The presser feet act as abutments to engage the sole surface near each edge and thus hold the sole against the last bottom and also resist the strain of the grippers on the Work. As the shoe is moved longitudinally to transfer the point of operation of the lasting devices along the shoe, the channel guides are pressed yieldingly against the inner surface oi? the rib at V pposite sides o1 the shoe, and thus position the grippers and sewing devices properly as the shoe sole varies in width. To permit the channel guides and the supports to which they are secured to move towards and from each other, the cylindrical portion 88 of each support mounted in a carrier block 46 which is secured to bear ing studs or trunnions 4-8 and 50 mounted. to turn in the overhanging side walls 52 of the machine frame. The hubs ot the. blocks 46 which receive the pivot studs 48 are provided with arms 56 extending laterally towards each other and provided with inter-meshing segmental gears 58. The supports for the upper stretching and stitch formin devices and the channel guides secured thereto are thus compelled to move towards and from each other in unison so that the channel guides, by contacting with the sewing rib of the shoe, not only control the position of the upper stretching and stitch forming devices laterally of the shoe, but also determine the lateral position of the shoe in the machine. Spring means are provided which tend to move the supports apart and thus hold the channel guides yield in gly in engagement with the inner surface of the sewing rib.

. By reason of the manner in which the cylindrical portion 38 oi each support is mounted in the carrier block as, each support is capable of a rotary or turning movement about an axis substantially perpendicular to the surtaceoit the shoe sole. This construction permits the si'lpports to be rotated or turned, as the point of operation of the lasting and sewing devices is transferred. along the shoe, to cause the main sewing needles 82 to operate in paths substantially normal to the sewing rib. lhese movements also rotate the grippers so that the upper engaging surfaces of the gripping jaws are substantially parallel to the edge of the shoe upper and are thus enabled to grasp the upper with certainty and to act on the upper to the best advantage. Each sup port is held in place in a carrier block 4-.6 between a flange at the lower end of the cylindrical portion. 38 and a ring 60 clamped upon the upper end. of the cylindrical portion.

From each ring 60 a stud 62 extends which is actuated by a rod 64 shown in section in Fig. 3 of the drawings from the pattern mechanism of the machine through intermediate connections which are fully described and illustrated in the aplpicants above-mentioned application to give the supports for the upper stretching and stitch forming devices the desired rotary positioning moven'ients to com pensate for the. edge curvature of the shoe sole or of the sewingrib as the point of o} eration is transferred along the shoe. 7 r

The inner jaw 26 and the outer jaw 28 of each pair of grippers are pivotally connected together at 68. The jaw 26 has a plate-like portion extending a considerable distance above the pivot 68 which is provided with a laterally extending pin 70 about midway its length and with a vertical slot 72 at its upper end. The pin 70 engages an inclined guiding surface 74: formed in one of the plates 4-0 and 4-2 and the slot 7 2 is engaged by a guiding pin 76. The gripping aw 26 is thus mounted between the parallel plates 40 and 42 of the support so that it is capable of an upward and down ward movement away from and towards the shoe sole. The jaw 28 of each gripper is also provided with an upwardly extending plate-like port-ion, and in this portion of? the gripper and in the corresponding portion of the gripper 26 are formed slots 78 and 80 arranged at an angle to each other and engaged by a pin 82. The arrangement of the slots 7 8 and 80 is such that an upward movement of the pin when the grippers are open. and in their lowest position will first close the gripping aw 28 upon the jaw 26 and then move the jaws bodily upward. To cause the gripping jaws to be closed before an upward movement takes place, a friction device is provided which comprises two friction disks indicated at 84 loosely mounted on the guiding pin 76 and held yieldin 'ly in contact with the upper end of the gripping jaw 26 by means 01"" a spring. As a strain is exerted upon the upper during the upward movement of the jz'rws, the jaws are pern'iitted to swing into the line of the strain exerted upon the upper v the swinging movement taking place around the pin 76 as a center. The grippers thus act to the best advantage upon the upper and d raw it tightly to the sides of the last.

In order to actuate the grippers to "pull sinmltaneously upon the opposite sides of the shoe upper each pin 82 is mounted on the lower end of a link 86 which is connected at use needle of the sewing mechanism. The cross heads 88 are in turn connected through rods 90 to the corresponding-ends of a cross head or yoke 92 which is actuated from a cam on the shaft 94: through a cam lever 96, the rear end of which isengaged by the cam on the cam shaft and the forward end of which is connected to the cross head 92 by means of a.

lever 98. The lever 98 is pivotally mounted on the forward end of the lever 96 and has its forward end pivotally connected to the cross head 92 and its rear end connected to a vertical. rod 100, the lower end of which is attached to a spring 102. With this construction, an upward movement of the forward end of the lever 96 acts through the'lever 98 to exert a yielding upward pull. upon the cross head 92. Adjustable stops indicated at 104- are provided to limit the movement of the lever 98 with relation to the camlever' supported by pivot studs 1141; near the lower ends of the side plates 40 and 12. Each needle carrier is oscillated through a connecting link 116, the lower end of which is pivoted to the carrier and the upper end of which is carried by a cross head 118 similar to the cross head 88 and mountedfin a similar manner in the cylindricalportion 38 of the support for the upper stretching and stitch forming devices. Each'cross head 118 is connected to the cross head 120 mounted to move above the supports. for the upper stretching and stitch forming devices beside the cross head 92. The cross head-120 is actuated from a cam on the actuating shaft 94 through a lever 122, the rear end of which is engaged by a cam on the shaft, and the forward end of which is pivotally connected to the cross head, To guide the cross headduring its up and down movements, it is connected to the frame of the machine by a parallel motion link 1241:.

The sewing mechanisms, in addition to the main thread needles 32, include the looper needles 34, the loop retainers 36 l'i creinbefore mentioned, and also take-ups consisting of levers 125 which act toset the stitches when the needles are withdrawn from the work and while the wipers are 1n pressing posi' Coacting' with each pair of grippers, a wiper or presser is provided for pressing the upper snugly int-c the angle formed by the rib and feather of the insole. Each of these wipers consists of the substantially horizontally arranged plate-like portion of an arm or lever 126 pivotally mounted at 128 at the side of the plate 10 of a support'for the lasting devices. The arm 126 extends downwardly from its pivot 128 parallel to the face of the plate 10 and then curves towards the left, so as to bring the portion of the arm. forming the wiper into a position to engage the upper in line with the channel guide or presser foot transversely of the shoe. The

wiper is arranged to move inwardly towards the center line of the shoe and during such movement engages the upper and presses 1t into the angle formed by the feather and rib V this movement of the he gripper are actuated of the insole. Dur' wiper, the aws of t to release the upper sufficiently to permit the p stock req uired to fit no the angle to besuppliedfrom the portion held by the gripper. The wiper complctesits movement ahead of the main needle 32, so that the needle does not penetrate the upper until the upper has been fitted into the shoulder of the insole by the wiper. During the retracting movement of the needle, the wiper remains in engage ment with the upperand holds the upper firmly pressed into the shoulder ofthe sole vided with a roll 130 arranged to be engaged by a cam surface 132 at the free end of an arm 184. The arm 13% has formed thereon a pivot stud 186 wl1ich is mounted in the plate .40 of a support for the lasting devices, and to this stud 136 is rigidly secured an arin 138.

ine

The arm 138 at its free end is providedwith a slot arranged to be engaged by a stud 140 at the pivotal connection of a needle carrier 112 with its actuating link 116. The shape and arr ngement'of these parts is such that the movements above described are imparted to the wipers from'the needle actuating mechanism. A spring 142 acts upon the wiper arm 126 to maintain the roll 130 in contact with thecam surface 132. i

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed is: i

- 1. A lasting'maehine having, in combination, an upper stretching gripper having an updraw movement, a Wiper movable into engagement with the stretched upper to press the upper into the angle formed by the rib and feather of the sole, mechanism for sewing the upper to the rib, and means for actuanism to last progressively a shoe upper as the point of operation is t 'ansl erred along the shoe.

2. A lasting machine having, in combination, an upper stretching gripper having an updraW movement, a Wiper movable into engageinent With the stretched upper to press the upper into the angle torn'ied by the rib and feather of the sole, means for actuating the gripper to yield stock to the Wiper, mechanism for sewing the upper to the rib, and means for actuatii'ig the gripper, Wi per and sewing mechai'iism to last progressivc shoe upper as the point of operation is transferred along the shoe.

3. A lasting machine having, in combination, an upper stretchuig gripper having an updraw movement, a wiper movable into engagement with the stretched upper to press the upper into the angle formed by the rib and feather oi? the sole, means for Cllllfilllg the gripper to release the upper dri'i the pressing movement of the wiper, mocha iism :lior sewing the upper ,0 the rib, and means for actuating the grip er, wiper and sewing mechanism to last progressively a saoe upper as the point of operation. is trai'isterred along the shoe.

4;. A lasting machine having, in combination, an upper stretching device, a wiper movable into engagement with the upper to press the upper into the angle formed by the rib and feather of the sole, mechanism for sewing the upper to the rib comprising an eye pointed needle arranged to pierce the upper and rib from the outside and a take-up acting to set the stitch When the needle is out of the Work and While the Wiper is in pressing position, and means for actuating the stretching device, Wiper and sewing mechanism to last progressively a shoe upper as the point of operation is transferred along the shoe.

5. A lasting machine having, in cou1bination, an upper stetching device, a Wiper movable into engagement With the upper to press the upper into the angle formed by the rib and feather of the sole, mechanism including a needle and cooperating devices for sewing the upper to the rib, connections for actuatin the Wiper from the needle actuating mechanism, and means for actuating the stretching device, Wiper and sewing mechanism to last progressively a shoe upper as the point of operation is transferred along the shoe.

6. ii lasting machine having, in combination, an upper stretching gripper having an updraw movement, means tor supporting said gripper permitting to move into line with the strain exerted on no upper, a Wiper movable to press the upper into lasted posi tion, securing devices, and means for actuating said. gripper, Wiper and securing devices to last progressively a shoe upper as the point of operation is transferred along the shoe.

7. A lasting machine having, in combinalion, an upper stretching gripper having an updraw movement, mains tor supporting said gripper pern'iitting it to move into line with the strain exerted on the upper, a guide for the gripper during its movement towards the shoe, a Wiper movable to press the upper into lasted position, securing devices, and means tor actuating said gripper, Wiper and securing devices to last progressively a shoe upper as the point of operation is transferred along the shoe.

8. A lasting machine having, in combination, lasting devices, means for actuating said devices to stretch progressively an upper over a last as the point 01": operation is tran ferred along the shoe and secure the upperto the rib of a sole placed on the last, and a presser toot provided With corrugations arranged to engage the sole inside of the rib.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT n. Lawson. 

